


Mandatory Viewing

by Plumetta



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-16 12:31:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2269800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plumetta/pseuds/Plumetta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is my AU where the 75th Games went wrong and Katniss and Peeta died.  Katniss and Peeta have been dead for months but their deaths are briefly relived in this story.  Haymitch returned and moved Prim and her mother into his house.  They are slowly becoming a family whether they want to or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mandatory Viewing

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own anything the universe belongs to Suzanne Collins.

The siren woke Haymitch up mid-afternoon. It was a District wide announcement about mandatory viewing tonight.

Calla frowned. “What would be mandatory viewing the night before the Victory Tour?

Haymitch shrugged. “I don’t ever remember that happening before.

“Do you think it will be an announcement about the next Games?

Haymitch shook his head. “No, it’s not a Quell.

Calla and Prim were sitting on the couch in front of the television. Prim was petting Buttercup and Haymitch was sitting in his chair.

Caesar Flickerman came on and announced there would be a special recap show every night of the Victory Tour. Since it will be starting in Twelve, tonight would focus on the star-crossed lovers.

Prim whimpered and Calla started to cry softly. The show started with the Reaping. Haymitch froze when he saw Effie on the screen. He still had no idea how she actually died, that was probably for the best. She pulled the name Katniss Everdeen and then Haymitch Abernathy. Caesar went on to talk about Peeta’s bravery for volunteering. Haymitch winced when he saw the kids on the screen. He was tempted to throw his bottle at the screen to break it but mandatory viewing was mandatory and while he didn’t care about himself he didn’t want a Peacekeeper to stop by and not see Calla and Prim watching. Victors could talk themselves out of most trouble but….He turned to look at the two ladies in his life. They were paralyzed looking at the screen. They saw Katniss be pulled away and now the scene changed to the arrival in the Capitol. Prim was practically crawling in her mother’s lap. Calla was stroking her hair. Buttercup jumped off Prim’s lap and walked over to Haymitch and started nudging his leg. The message was clear. Get up and do something useful, idiot.

He got out of his chair and saw tears running down their faces. He was going to sit on the far end of the couch just so they would look like a family to any passerbys but as soon as he got close, Prim pulled away from her mother and moved to the left, Calla moved to the right and Buttercup walked over and hissed. He suddenly felt fluent in cat ‘Sit between them Stupid. He sat in the middle of the couch and Calla leaned her head on his shoulder, reflexively he put his arm around her. Prim cuddled next to him and the other arm wrapped around her. Buttercup leaped back up to sit on Prim’s lap.

They had to watch the arrival in the Capitol, the Tribute Parade, the interview with Katniss in her damn wedding dress and Peeta’s desperate attempt to save them with the baby bomb. Then they watched the Games, Peeta almost die by the forcefield, the fog almost kill them and then…..the damn monkeys that killed Katniss. When her death was being played out he tightened his grip on his girls. Tears were flowing and both of them were crying into his chest. Peeta’s death was easier for them to take but not him, he was such a sweet boy, such a good person. It ended with his exit interviews on both of their deaths. Then Casear reminded viewers that the next recap would be on Seeder and Chaff from District 11. 

Prim stopped crying first, the heaving sobs turned to soft sniffles. He kissed her on the forehead, she kissed him on the cheek before she got up to go to her room. Calla took over an hour to calm down. When her tears stopped she said. “I can’t do that again. I have to hold it together for Prim.

“Prim seems okay.” He said softly

“That’s because you were here. I couldn’t have watched that alone….Haymitch why are they so cruel? They never did this before. Isn’t it bad enough we have to be on display tomorrow?

“You’ll get through it and they’ll be torturing other people soon.

“I hate him.” Calla whispered. “I hate Pres….. I hate Press confereneces she corrected. It’s so hard to be in front of the camera. How have you done it all these years?

“I’m used to it.

“It couldn’t have been easy to see Effie.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Calla nodded. “If you change your mind, I’ll listen.

They managed to survive Tour Day and then it was time for the 11 recaps. He sat on the couch, not because they needed him but it felt right. He was surprised when he saw Chaff on the screen and he heard crying. He couldn’t figure out why they were so upset, they never met him. It took him a minute to realize it was him, Chaff had been his closest friend and only family for twenty-five years. Calla and Prim were holding him like he comforted them the other night. He felt guilty, they shouldn’t have to take care of him, but tonight he was glad he wasn’t alone. Even the damn cat rubbed his leg. When he was comforting them he felt like they were family, they were Abernathys to him, he realized tonight he became an Everdeen for them.


End file.
